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How to 360 kick video

Get the 360 kick before the 540 kick

If you are just getting into tricking, then the 360 kick should be the first kick you learn. Get it before you begin training your 540 kick.

Why the 360 kick is important

The 360 kick is important because it is a perquisite for almost as many tricks as a back flip. It leads to dozens of advanced spin kicks, and is the most important prerequisite for the double leg. It gets you accustomed to jump spinning, and kicking. Duh.

Get the 360 kick now

In fact, if you are just getting into tricking, then the 360 kick should probably be the first “trick” you learn. If you want more than just back flip tricks, then just go out now and begin working on your 360 kick. It’s that important.

How to approach learning the 360 kick

Okay, so if you do not have a martial arts background you will be at a disadvantage: because many martial arts will teach the 360 kick in their curriculum. Even for lower ranks.

But you don’t need a martial arts background. The technique is simple, there is no fear involved, and the jump it requires is minimal. You will need a little flexibility and a good crescent or hook kick though before proceeding.

Getting the 360 kick

Learn to crescent kick

Learn to add a spin before you do your crescent kick.

Practice jumping up high.

Practice jumping up high and spinning around.

Practice running, jumping, and spinning around.

Practice running, jumping, and spinning around while bringing up one leg.

Practice running, jumping, and spinning around while kicking up your one leg.

Land a 360 kick.

How to 360 kick step by step

It’s nice outside!

Come forward, and create use a curved path of entry. Also, pick a target. It can be anything visual, it doesn’t have to be something you are actually going to strike. Just pick something you want to bring your foot across.

Keep your eye on the target (see where I’m looking?). Get ready to dig.

Now I’m digging, and with my horizontal momentum I’m going to “block” it and turn it into a vertical jump. Just think about what you do when you go to grab the rim of a basketball goal, it’s the same thing here.

Notice I’m STILL looking at my target. Notice before I jump and at the bottom of my dig I’m still trying to keep my torso facing my target as long as possible. These things are KEY to preparing for this trick.

Foot contact with ground should be minimal. If you are any observer of high impact, speed sports, you will notice foot-ground contact time is almost minimal in highly trained athletes who leap, bound, or jump. So think of the ground as a burning hot skillet and punch it hard and get off of it fast; If you use the non-punch, set foot style setup, get off the ground as fast as you can when both are finally placed!

Now we jump. Turn around and face your target again as quickly as possible. Do NOT look around.

Again, before jumping keep your eye on the target and try to keep your torso facing forward. Now that we have jumped, we are going to turn around as quickly as possible to face our target again. Do NOT look around.

With a good, strong set and a quick jump, if you simply spot your target your body will start to turn. Remember, wherever the head turns the body follows (extremely important principle in tricking); So with that, just start lifting up that outside leg!

Spot your target and bring your foot to it. If you did everything right, it will just feel like you are doing a stretch kick and your jump and spin pulls it across.

Point your feet and keep your non-kicking leg down and straight for the best aesthetic.

ring that foot ALL THE WAY ACROSS nice and smooth. Don’t short cut the kick and drop it early, it’s gotta go all the way through to create the right look. Keep your body up.

Drop down.

I kicked that giant right in the face! Notice I’m still looking at my target.

Jujimufu! 360 kick! And cool Otomix bodybuilder style pants.

Keep in mind:

Enter from an angle or from the side.

Keep your eye on your target.

Dig and minimize foot-ground contact time.

When you jump look around and spot your target again immediately!

Do not look around during the jump.

Please… Please for the love of tricking, POINT YOUR KICKING FOOT!

Bring the kick all the way through, across and back behind you.

Specific Problem Advice:

“Jujimufu, I get lost in mid air! Help me!” – How do you get lost on a jump kick that only really has a 180 degree spin? haha.

“I’m having trouble getting my kick across my target and creating that nice, complete kick aesthetic? What can I do?”– If you can’t jump high, you’re simply gonna have trouble because you won’t have the necessary airtime for completion. If you can jump high, you’re not turning fast enough in the jump.

“I’m having trouble keeping my body up in the air. I tend to crouch down at the shoulders when tossing the kick and it looks kind of crunched. How can I fix this?” – This is mostly do to a lack of flexibility. You are trying to get the kick up higher than your legs are capable of stretching, so your body compensates by rounding at the shoulders and crunching forward. Increase your flexibility, consciously make an effort to keep your posture ace, and keep practicing.

My experiences:

I learned this trick as a yellow belt (just after white belt) in Taekwondo when I was 14. It was a progressive learning experience. They started me with stretch kicks, then crescent kicks, then spin crescent kicks. By the time I was ready to go beyond a yellow belt they had already had me doing jump spin crescent kicks (360 kicks) in class. I learned this trick standing. Then as I got better at it, I began using a running takeoff.

I would say it depends on what style your are trying to portray. Some people like to “snap” the kick to make it look more defined. You can still do that with a more crescent style kick, just requires more flexibility and being able to split in mid air with the base leg rather than tucking it. Also if you were to actually use this as a way of hitting a target I would rather chamber my leg and kick it out to generate more power from the hip flexors.

This is going to make me a much better tricker. I’m going to drill the hell out of the basic tricks like the backflip, flash kick, aerial, 540, 360 crescent, and cheat 720 so much I will be easier than walking. I should be able to wake up at 3:00 am go outside in the middle of the Minnesota winter on an icy street and do all these easily and perfectly on the first try with no warming up multiple times in a row. Then I will move on to more advanced tricks and do the same. No pain no gain so if I torture myself I’ll make lot’s of gains >:)

Hahaha, I know. Better than tricking in 3 feet of snow that as sharp as a razor balde because of how icy it is. The roads just tend to be a little slippery in the winter because of the salt laid down (it’s like tricking with small marbles on the ground), lol. I wouldn’t really want to trick on ice.